Automatic grain-weighing machine



(No Model.)

L. M. BUCHANAN. v AUTOMATIC GRAIN WEIGHING MACHINE.

No. 404,257. Patented May 28, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

LAUGIIIIIN M. BUCHANAN, OF ELMIRA, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN-WEIGHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,257, dated May 28, 1889.

Application filed November 9, 1888. Serial No. 290,882. (No model.)

To (LZZ 71/71/0727, fil; 'm/ny con/cent:

lie it known that l, LAUGHLIN M. l) UCHANAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Stark and Stz'tteof Illi nois, have invented certain new and useful Imgrovements in Automatic \Veighing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same, reference being had to the acco1npanyin g drawings, an d to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this spccilication.

My invention has reference to improvements in automatic weighing-machinos adapted to weigh grain or like inaterial in successive quantities; and it consists in the mechanism hereinafter described, whereby the material weighed passes into a suspended hopper, and .is weighed therein and discharged therefrom automatically without intermitting or arresting the flow of grain into said hopper. My machine, therefore, is of a class adapted to measure the grain passed into or out of an elevator or like receptacle through a spent, and also is adapted to be attachcdto an ordinary thrashing-machine and measure and register the amount of grain thrashed tlni-reby.

In the drawings, liigure 1 is a perspective of a machine embodying my invention with one side of the hopper removed. Fig. exhibits a portion of the opposite side thereof. Fig. 5 is a detail of the device for intermittently locking the interior dellecting-valve. Fig. l: is a detail of the mechanism employed to compel the hopper to remain in a vertical position during its vertical movements. Fig. 5 is a detail in section showing the pivotal bearings.

A is the frame of the machine supported or suspended in any suitable manner.

I is the usual weighing-beam, provided with the usual pea, (l, and bifurcated at its inner end to form two parallel. substantially-horizontal levers, D. The latter are respectively pivoted, and thereby fulcrumed nearly midway at E to the inner surface of the sides of the frame A. In. the inner ends of thelevers rock-shaft, F.

ally suspended the )car-shaped hopper G, having a central inlet, ll, at its upper end, and central outlet, l, at its lower end. The shaft I passes centrally through the hopper G, slightly above the center of gravity of the latter, and said shaft is pivotally seated in the sides of said hopper.

In the interior of the hopper G there is rigidly seated upon the shaft I a flipper-valve, K, extending the full width of the interior of the hopper G, and from the inner end. of one side of the inlet If to the inner edge of the opposite side of the outlet I. The valve K furnishes a shi fting partition through the contcr of the hopper G, and by its oscillations on the rock-shaft I dcliects the incoming grain alternately into each compartment of the hopper G, meanwhile opening communication from the opposite con'ipartinent through the outlet 1. In Fig.1 the valve If is shown in position to permit the influx of grain into the cmnpartment next the beam 1 which, for convenience, may be termed the front half of said hopper. As will be seen in Fig.1, this position of the valve K permits the escape, through the outlet I, of the grain 'n-eviously deposited .in the rear half of said hopper. lhe said valve K is oscillated forward. and back alternately by the pressure of the grain against that portion of said valve extending below the shaft F. As this pressure is lateral, it is increased by the pear-shaped formation. of the lower portion of said hopper.

It will be obvious from an inspection of Fig. 1 that the outside of the hopper G, be low the line of the beam ll, is so ncaily vertical as to form no support :for the contain'nl grain, and the opposite side of said compartment formed by the valve K, which projects somewhat diagonally under the grain, receives pressure therefrom over the whole surface of said valve in contact with the grain. In fact, with the walls of the closed compartment in the shape shown in Fig. .l, the grain whendeposited therein has a wedge action against both walls of said chamber, and as the grain has to settle but slightly in following the valve (when the latter is released) to the opposite side of the opening I the transit of both ends of the valve K across the openings II and I, respectively, is very rapid as well. as certain.

The valveli is hold in the diagonal position.

shown in Fig. 1 and intermittently released to open the egress from the filled chamber and ingress to the empty one by the following mechanism: An arm, L, is rigidly seated outside one of the levers D on the shaft F and projected upwardly therefrom in position to engage a stop, M, Fig. 3, rigidly seated in any suitable manner on the frame A, and projected inwardly sufficiently to engage the upper end of the arm L. The lower end of the stop M converges into a sharp edge, and in the vertical oscillation of the hopper G the arm L passes alternately down one side and up the other of the stop M, and when at either side thereof holds the valve K in a stationary position diagonally across the hopper G. The upper end'of the arm L is provided with the friction-roller N, to reduce the friction in the transit of said arm over the lower surface of the stop M.

The weight of the hopper G and its contents is supported by the beam B through its inward prolongations, D, on the fulcra E, and the amount of weight upon the inne r end of said beam required to depress said end can be regulated in the usual way by the attachment of the pea O. The beam B is limited in its vertical oscillation by the slot A in aportion of the frame A, through which said beam is projected.

l/Vhen the grain falls into the front receivin g-com partments and overcomes or balances the weight of the pea O, the hopper is depressed within the frame A, carrying down with it the shaft F and the arm L; the rol'er N then passes stop M, and the grain in the compartments in escaping forces the valve K to the opposite side of the hopper, forming a rear grain-compartment. The hopper rises as the grain escapes and brings the roller N against the opposite side of the stop M, thereby locking the valve in its new position till enough grain has entered the rear compartment to again depress the hopper, when the operation is reversed.

The mechanism described for shifting and holding the valve K, I find to be suflicient;

but, as supplementary thereto, I rigidly seat the lower end of an upwardlyextending weighted lever, 0, Fig. 2, outside of the hopper G on the rock-shaft F, which in the oscillation of said shaft is thrown from one side to the other of the perpendicular. A guard, P, attached to the side of the hopper G, limits the throw of said lever and forms stops for each end of its arc of oscillation.

To retain the hopper G in a perpendicular position during its vertical. oscillations, I project downwardly from the frame A, outside of the latter, a short post, R, Fig. 4, furnished at its lower end with the friction-roller S, adapted to traverse in the vertical oscillation of the hopper G the slot T, formed in a shoe, V, attached to the outside of the hopper G.

Any well-known registering apparatus can be readily connected to the oscillating shaft F.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination, with the frame A, suitably supported, and the stop M, standing upward from said frame, of the beam B, having the bifurcated arms D, pivoted at E upon the side arms of the frame, the shaft F, pivoted in the ends of the arms D and provided with the upstanding arm L, having the rollerN at its end, the hopper suspended on the shaft F between the arms D, the valve K, secured to the shaft F within the hopper, and the pea O, sliding on the beam B, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the frame A, having the stop-slot A and the stop M on said frame, of the beam B, having the arms D, the pea G, the shaft F, having the arm L, the hopper suspended on the shaft, and the valve K, mounted on the shaft within the hollow, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LAUGIILIN M. BUCHANAN.

Vitnesses:

JOHN G. MANAHAN, ADDA E. WARD. 

